Hollow block and wall construction.



A. S. LEEPER.

HOLLOW BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1916.

1,290,589. Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

INVNTOR @5557 5.155 0? A TTORNEYS' I WITNESSES ALBEB'I svnm. LEEPER, or KENT, wnsnmeron.

HOLLOW BLOGK'AND WALL CONSTRUCTION,

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

Application liled July 7, 1916. Serial No. 107,947.

the arrangements and combinations herein after described. 1 y I i An object of my invention is to provide a hollow block to be used in building construction which is provided with tonguesand grooves so arranged that when laid up with mortar the block is locked in position.- A further object of my invention is to provide a block of the type described which can be used to produce walls of difi'erent dimensions, the block itself having the apricks laid one on top of the other with a projection .on one side, the projection being the size and shape of an ordinary brick.

A further objectof my invention is to provide a wall constructlon made of the improved hollow block, in which the webs or solid portions of the blocks in different I wall to studding,w1thout the necessity of cutting, breaking, or otherwise injuring the wall or blocks of which the wall is composed.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the'novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

-My invention is illustrated in-the accom-,

panying drawings forming part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the block Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the wall.

In carrying out my invention I provide a block likelthat shown in Fig. 1, which consists of side portions 1 and 2 which are parallel and which are joined by parallel proximate dimensions of four ordinary noted is toward oneend of the block, a void 6 being left between the web 5 and the end 4 while a larger void 7 is left between the web 5 and the end 3. v The end 4 is provided with a tongue 4*.running longitudinally of the block, while the end 3 is provided with a groove 3. At 8 I have shown a laterally extending tongue or projection which is provided on opposite sides with grooves 8 and 8 respectively. It will benoted that this projection or tongue is nearer oneend than the other, being substantially twice as far from one end as from the other, or, in other words bein situated at a point approximately a thlrd of the distance between the ends 3 and 4 from the end 3.

The wall which forms the subject of the present invention, is one of a number of It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the bloc are laid in reverse position, and they are not only reversed, but they are inverted; that is to say, the block A at the bottom of the figure has its projection or tongue 8 extending to the right, while the block B in the next course above it has its ton e or projection 8 extending to the left. he tongue 8 of the block A is near the bottom end of the block, while the tongue 8 of the block B is near the top end. In order to getthis arrangement it is only necessary to reverse the position of the blocks, and to invert them. It will be seen that the tongue 4* of the block B is contiguous to the groove 8 of the block A. A course of mortar 10 is laid between these portions, and when it hardens locks the block in position; Be tween the tongue 8 of the block B and the upper end of the block A similar conditions exist. An air space 11 is left between the blocks A and B. The block C which is above the block A is in 'the same relative position as the block A, and the block D is in the same relative position as the block B, but this leaves the grooves 3 and 8 in registration between the blocks B and C, so

that when mortar joints 10 are laid, the blocks are locked in position by the key formed when the mortar enters the grooves and hardens. The air space 11, however, is formed, and it is in vertical alinement are discontinuous, that is to say, they with the air space 11 in the lower course. This arrangement is followed until the wall is finished. As will be seen from Fig. 2 the blocks A and C are staggered with respect to the blocks B and D, so that the tongues 8 of the blocks A and C are sta gered with res ect to the blocks B and l so as to brea the vertically extending mortar joint.

A wall constructed according to my invention has the webs of the blocks or the solid portions thereof in vertical alinement. It hasthe voids, such as those shown at 6 and 7 in vertical alinement. It is locked vertically by the tongues or extensions 8, and it is locked laterally by the tongues and grooves 49, 3, 8, and 8 The mortar joints are broken by.air spaces 11 so that moisture cannot penetrate from the outside of the wall to the inside thereof.

I In addition to these advantages, this means of constructing a wall provides opportunity for securing studding, such as that shown at 13, to the wall. To this end it is only necessary to insert the head of a bolt 14 in the space left by the registering grooves 3 and 8 and to extend the bolt through the studding which may be drawn up to the wall by means of the nut 15.

I claim: 4

1. A hollow wall construction" comprising horizontal rows of hollow blocks having laterally extending tongues" or projections,

the tongues of the blocks in adjacent rows extending in opposite directions tooverl-ie theends of the body portions of the blocks in adjacent courses, said laterally projecting tongues being provided with grooves on opposite faces, and said body portions being provided with a tongue atone end and a groove at the other arranged to register with certain of the grooves in said tongues of adjacent courses, the contiguous vertical walls of blocks of adjacent courses being spaced apart to provide vertically registering air spaces.

2. A hollow wall construction comprising horizontal rows of hollow blocks having groove at the other arranged to register with certain of the grooves in said tongues of adjacent courses, the contiguous vertical 'walls of blocks of adjacent courses being spaced apart to provide vertically registering air spaces, the joints between the body portions of the blocks and the tongues of adjacent blocks having a mortar joint.

ALBERT s DNEY LEEPER. 

